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Magick and The Powers

RE: Anyone else usig Ajahn Lee's "Method 1" for concentration?

Hello, DhOers

For the past couple of months, I've been doing concentration practice using Ven Ajahn Lee's "Method 1".

It's a breath meditation technique, but it moves attention along what are considered "energy" paths in many traditions, and focuses on a strong visual nimitta or afterimage-like effect. This meshes nicely with my experience using a kasina or visual meditation object.

For me, it has so far been very effective in getting a nimitta, without having a candle or other external kasina available. I've got some fairly stable, subjectively autonomous visual effects, which are also mentioned by Ajahn Lee, though he doesn't dwell on them, recommending deep breaths to make them go away. His aim in that booklet was a different one from what I'm trying to do here.

I'm using this technique to pump up my concentration skill because I want to explore powers-y effects.

I posted this to the powers/magick section. The new DhO Software does not make this obvious, so I'm mentioning it here.

So I'm wondering if anyone else is using or has used this technique for this purpose, and what they've found out or been able to do with it.

Cheers,
Florian

RE: Anyone else usig Ajahn Lee's "Method 1" for concentration?
Answer
10/8/14 5:02 AM as a reply to Florian Weps.
I've had this in my bookmarks for a while.  Maybe you'll find it interesting?

http://www.bio.net/hypermail/neur-sci/1996-June/024159.html

I think I got it from a post on a lucid dreaming forum somewhere, and the guy who posted said he was able to change the color of physical objects (like make a red lamp blue), invent people and talk to them, listen to music that wasn't real, etc.

EDIT: Sorry if this isn't relevant, I'm not sure re-reading your post, haha.

RE: Anyone else usig Ajahn Lee's "Method 1" for concentration?
Answer
10/8/14 4:58 PM as a reply to Not Tao.
Not Tao:
I've had this in my bookmarks for a while.  Maybe you'll find it interesting?


Interesting, yes! I did get the 2d-3d shift in the "eyelid color" phosphene scenery some years ago.

Interesting about the rotating images. I haven't been able to verify this yet.

Have you experimented with this?

Cheers,
Florian

RE: Anyone else usig Ajahn Lee's "Method 1" for concentration?
Answer
10/8/14 11:23 PM as a reply to Florian Weps.
Florian Weps:
Not Tao:
I've had this in my bookmarks for a while.  Maybe you'll find it interesting?


Interesting, yes! I did get the 2d-3d shift in the "eyelid color" phosphene scenery some years ago.

Interesting about the rotating images. I haven't been able to verify this yet.

Have you experimented with this?

Cheers,
Florian



The reason I was interested in this, I think, was because I was taking naps in the evening back when I was doing the jhanas everyday and I realized that if I used the same letting go technique, accepting the sleep as it came, I wouldn't actually fall asleep but instead get visions. I was able to pop a few faces into visual reality, and I think I got a rose to appear once, but I never tried to rotate anything specifically. The technique of trying to adjust the colors of the floaters was actually good practice for control, so then popping in full images actually became easier. You'd think faces would be hardest, but they were actually the easiest thing I found. Something to be aware of, though, if you try that method is that actually going to sleep can become difficult. There was one night where I think I fell into the deep sleep state while still paying attention for a few moments (unintentionally, as I was very tired at the time). I posted about it on here somewhere. It was very blissful and still - but then I spent the rest of the night hitting the edge of it and popping back awake. I even had a few rotting corpse images appear haha.

It seems like concentration meditation and sleep effects really go together...

RE: Anyone else usig Ajahn Lee's "Method 1" for concentration?
Answer
10/8/14 4:08 PM as a reply to Florian Weps.
Hi, Florian,

That book is my main practice! But, if I remember correctly, I use Method 2. I'll look when I am home from work.

I've not used that meditation guide specifically for powers, for I've only very recently become interested in the powers. However, I also started getting the nimittas soon after adopting this method of breath meditation for everyday practice. I think, by the way, that this is a fantastic meditation guide for beginners: Because he gives the meditator a lot to actually "do" during the sit, it is much easier to stay focused and much harder to become bored or otherwise distracted.

Highly recommended, and am glad you are seeing good effects.

Jenny

RE: Anyone else usig Ajahn Lee's "Method 1" for concentration?
Answer
10/8/14 5:01 PM as a reply to _.
Jenny:
That book is my main practice! But, if I remember correctly, I use Method 2. I'll look when I am home from work.


I chose method 1 specifically because of its association with the powers.

I did breath meditation for some years along the lines of method 2. It really is excellent!

Cheers,
Florian

RE: Anyone else usig Ajahn Lee's "Method 1" for concentration?
Answer
10/8/14 5:27 PM as a reply to Florian Weps.
Florian:
I chose method 1 specifically because of its association with the powers.

Ah, well, then this book is next up on my rereading list! Enjoy!

RE: Anyone else usig Ajahn Lee's "Method 1" for concentration?
Answer
10/8/14 5:40 PM as a reply to Florian Weps.
Great to see this here this evening. I had just decided that I was going to switch to concentration practices for the next two weeks and your link is the first thing I see when I log in. I'm giving a read now. Thanks for the link!